Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Imagine for a moment waking up to the smell of warm buttery cinnamon rolls and hot coffee. The aroma makes it difficult to stay in the warm, soft sea of sheets and blankets. Your sense of smell has shared the secret to your tummy, and you hear it growl longingly for that delightful roll of cinnamon goodness! You lay there savoring the smell, imagining yourself eating one.

Then reality kicks you in the gut. You remember you can no longer indulge in this “cinnful” treat after finding out that you are intolerant to egg and your daughter is allergic to dairy. So you skip the cinnamon rolls and force oatmeal down your throat while others around you dine on the ooey-gooey delight.

This is my life.

When autumn hit our hometown, so did my longing for warm comfort food. I was no longer satisfied by smoothies or oatmeal. It was time to create a recipe that would satisfy the taste buds and not churn the tummy. The results? Only the BEST cinnamon rolls I have ever had (including the non-vegan kind)! I must have read ten different allergy-friendly cinnamon roll recipes before I finally came up with my own that rocks the cinnamon roll world. I hope these satisfy you as much as they do my family. They are soft and gooey, and you would never know they were vegan! Enjoy!

Pour the dry ingredients into the mixer bowl a little bit at a time and incorporate with the wet ingredients. Turn the dough out onto the counter coated with some of the remaining flour. Knead the remaining flour into the dough until it is used up and you have a smooth, elastic dough.

Put the dough into a bowl coated with cooking spray and lightly spray the top of the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise. Let it rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

Combine the honey, cinnamon, shortening, chopped pecans and raisins (if using) in a small bowl, set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle. Spread the mix over the dough.

Roll the dough into a log the long way. Cut the roll into even slices (I got 12 rolls). Place slices in a greased 8 inch square baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until they turn golden brown across the center.

About the Author Natalie Hixson loves finding new ways to make life fun, simple and balanced. She owns two businesses with her husband as well as homeschools her three daughters in Bozeman, Montana. She motivates and inspires the overwhelmed mom entrepreneur at www.striveforprogress.com.

While most would consider this recipe plant-based most wouldn’t consider it vegan because honey isn’t considered a vegan product. You do offer a substitution for the dough but not the filling. Please change the title or offer a substitution such as agave for the filling. If you keep the title, honey should probably be the substitution with sugar as the main ingredient in the dough.

Rebecca on November 06, 2014

I am sorry for the confusion Rebecca. Thank you for sharing your substitutions. Thanks Kelli for updating the recipe. :)

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*PEAK HORSEPOWER” (PHP) DOES NOT DENOTE THE OPERATIONAL HORSEPOWER OF A BLENDER BUT RATHER THE HORSEPOWER OUTPUT OF A MOTOR, INCLUDING THE MOTOR’S INERTIAL CONTRIBUTION, ACHIEVED IN LABORATORY TESTING. IN ACTUAL USE, BLENDTEC MOTORS DO NOT OPERATE AT THE PEAK HORSEPOWER SHOWN.